Community shines brightly for jubilee

Thornliebank parish church is one of many organisations celebrating 60 years of Elizabeth II on the throne — all in the hope of bringing neighbours closer together.

Fiona Richardson, deputy session clerk of the church, told The Extra: “We think that this is a great opportunity to bring everyone in the community together from all backgrounds, religions and age groups, and other churches and schools in the area are teaming up with us to make this outreach a success”.

The free party starts at noon on Saturday, June 2, with events including tossing the wellie, pinning the crown on the queen and putting the haggis.

Festivities will close with a sing-along concert, with students from Woodfarm high school and the church’s youth group singing classics released at the time of the Queen’s coronation.

Fiona added: “We felt that there are so many events on for the kids, that it would be nice to have something fun and lighthearted for the older generation”.

Jubilee celebrations will also be held at Greenbank parish church on the same day, 11am-4pm.

The church hosts a community garden party, complete with tea dances, as well as baking stalls and activities for little revellers.

Schools across the southside and East Renfrewshire are getting in on the action too, and Belmont House junior school recently held a bake sale, to raise funds for their celebratory tea party on May 31.

The school’s organising committee will also be using the money to install commemorative plants.

East Renfrewshire council have also announced details of street parties taking place throughout the jubilee weekend.

A stretch of Broom Road East in Newton Mearns will be closed from 9am until 4pm on June 3, as will Overlee Road in Clarkston, 3-8pm.

On June 4, it’s the turn of Beech Avenue in Newton Mearns, which will be closed to traffic between Maple Avenue and Shaw Road from noon until 10pm,

And on Tuesday, it’s Giffnock’s turn to don the bunting, as the full stretch of Eastwood Avenue will be shut off, from the junction with Church Road.

Despite a number of events planned across the area, it seems that not all Extra readers are joining the festivities.

In a poll of our website visitors and Facebook followers, we posed the question: Will you be celebrating the Queen’s diamond jubilee?

Just 13 per cent of respondents said they were throwing or attending a private party, while 87 per cent replied that they would not be celebrating in any way — no one, meanwhile, confirmed attendance at a public street party.